MONTGOMERY, Alabama – The Golden Dragon copper tubing plant, now under construction in Wilcox County, will create at least 300 jobs and could serve as a model for rural economic development, according to reports on the al.com web site.

The $100 million Golden Dragon manufacturing project is considered a significant economic development victory for rural Wilcox and the nearby Clarke County city of Thomasville, made possible by a high level of cooperation between local elected officials, according to an al.com report. Employment at the plant eventually could rise to 500 people.

“All eyes are now on Wilcox County,” Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Commerce Department told economic developers at a January 2013 conference. He told them that AIDT, the state’s job-training agency, is ready to help the Chinese company assemble its workforce, according to an update on al.com.

George Alford, manager of the Wilcox County Industrial Development Authority, told Area Development that the Golden Dragon copper tubing plant project is one of the largest economic development projects in the Black Belt county’s history.